Cave Refuge

At this moment, within the room, Madeline was pondering how to extract more valuable information from Zachary, while Zachary himself held Madeline's tablet, browsing through the intelligence reports with no hesitation, reports that were not available on his own device.

The atmosphere in the room became somewhat silent, yet it was also harmonious.

After roughly going through the messages on Madeline's tablet, Zachary handed the device back to Madeline and queried, "Having read these reports, I think I've guessed what you're thinking. However, I want to confirm it once more.

Although the flood will inevitably recede, while it still lingers, I'd like to know your thoughts. Speak your mind, and if feasible, I'm not opposed to cooperating with you."

Upon hearing Zachary's stance, Madeline was momentarily stunned. Although he had invited Zachary over to confer, his initial intention was merely to probe Zachary's thoughts and not to devise a plan.

But now that Zachary had outright expressed his willingness, if Madeline didn't present some plan requiring Zachary's cooperation and invitation to extend a helping hand, he felt as if he would be at a disadvantage.

So, after a brief contemplation, Madeline slowly began, "The specific plan isn't fully devised yet. But right now, I'm thinking about an issue—although the flood is bound to end, that doesn't necessarily mean our meticulously nurtured Companion Spiritual Treasures will become useless.

Beyond that, if the flood disappears, I wonder if those Mysterious Ships that roam the water will cease to appear as well.

If the flood simply ends, then due to the loss of necessity for the Companion Spiritual Treasures, the price of the Mysterious Cores they feed on will inevitably drop. But if the source of the Mysterious Cores, the Mysterious Ships, also disappear, then the price of the cores will naturally rise.

Though it seems that with one fall and one rise, the price of Mysterious Cores may very likely remain stable in the end, to us merchants, the process of this drop and rise is filled with significant commercial opportunities."

Listening to Madeline's financial theory, Zachary actually wasn't very interested. Before the natural disaster, Zachary's clients had relatively few assets, with savings so scant they didn't even exceed the length of a password. Thus, Zachary had neither the qualifications nor the interest to join the financial game. His only deep interaction with finance was depositing money into the Hart Family's financial products to earn interest.

Seeing Zachary's lackluster response, Madeline had to retread old ground, "Forget it, you're not interested in other matters if I talk at length. The main reason I called you here was to find out how many Mysterious Cores you plan to acquire. Try to be honest with me. I won't hide it from you; the quantity of your purchase will significantly impact my plan."

Listening to Madeline say this, Zachary was immediately skeptical and retorted sarcastically, "It sounds like if I'm not clear about an approximate number of Mysterious Cores I'm going to purchase, it will have a substantial impact on your later plans.

Do you think I'm a fool, or are you trying to play me for one? I've been commissioning you to purchase Mysterious Cores on my behalf in Magic City. Every time, the exact amount of Mysterious Cores I get, you, as the intermediary, should have a pretty good idea. Yet you have the gall to ask me how many I can eventually buy, when I believe you're the one with the clearest idea."

After absorbing Zachary's sarcasm, Madeline came to a realization. After all, according to his understanding of Zachary, Zachary wouldn't buy Mysterious Cores bit by bit like a merchant dealing with individuals; he would trade directly with large merchants, similar to how major companies make bulk purchases.

Such transactions might not always secure the lowest price for the same quality goods, but they can save a lot of procurement time, making the entire acquisition process more efficient and streamlined.

And for this reason, to some extent, Madeline indeed had some control over the amount of Mysterious Cores Zachary could obtain near the Magic City Base.

Why near the Magic City Base and not everywhere? It was because he knew that Zachary now possessed a capability akin to the ancient Immortals' Sword Flight.

As a merchant, Madeline was very familiar with the actual situation. Although it seemed that Zachary always came to her first for major purchases, it was because the goods he bought from her were always of unblemished quality, and the prices were definitely considered good value for money.

The reason their transactions had become so casual was not only because of their friendship but also because of the credibility built up through countless transactions. As long as there were no problems or conflicts in their dealings, their trade could continue indefinitely.

However, having the ability for Sword Flight and often traveling out, Zachary couldn't have never visited other Water Bases, nor could he have never conducted transactions with merchants from other bases.

Therefore, Madeline was actually very clear that what Zachary had said was just a joke and should not be taken seriously. If she did take it seriously, she would really be a fool.

"My point is, what exactly is your upper limit for purchasing Mysterious Cores this time? Although you're not buying directly from the Hunting Teams, if the limit is too high, it will definitely have a significant impact on the market price of Mysterious Cores."

Upon hearing Madeline's words, Zachary only thought for a moment before roughly calculating the quantity of recyclable crops and livestock cultivated and raised in the Cave. Then, he gave Madeline an estimated total: "Actually, I wasn't planning to buy that many Mysterious Cores. But since I learned that the flood disaster is about to end and the Mysterious Ships might disappear with the receding tide, I had an intuition that Mysterious Cores are not just for this. So, I am actually taking a gamble, but I also have limits. Although I understand that I will not fail, I will only use resources that won't have too much impact on me."

As she listened to Zachary, Madeline silently calculated in her mind the value of the goods Zachary had just mentioned. Finally, she figured out the quantity of Mysterious Cores Zachary intended to purchase.

Just as she had predicted, even without other people's participation, based solely on the value of the goods Zachary was offering, the quantity of Mysterious Cores he could buy would affect not only the selling price of Mysterious Cores in their nearby region but also the price across the whole of China.

Watching Madeline's brows gradually furrow, Zachary asked with some confusion, "What's the matter? Do you have any doubts about the amount I mentioned? Before you say anything, think about the fact that I'm not using up all at once when buying Mysterious Cores.

"After all, the fruits and vegetables I supply also require time to grow, so this kind of phased purchasing, although substantial each time, should not have too much of an impact on the market situation."

Hearing Zachary's explanation, Madeline suddenly realized that she had been shocked by the transaction quantity Zachary had mentioned.

Despite making little profit from selling Mysterious Cores to Zachary, even if each item's profit was extremely low, almost negligible when spread out, she couldn't deny the high volume and absolute stability.

Furthermore, with the high value and easy marketability of the collateral Zachary was providing, it meant that selling those goods not only provided high profits but also allowed quick sales.

And so, upon hearing the final purchase quantity set by Zachary, Madeline's temporary daze was indeed an expression of bliss.

"If that's what you're saying, then I must have overthought it just now and misunderstood."

Seeing Madeline come to her senses and her expression return to normal, Zachary did not pursue the matter further.